The Little Siren
by Miss Disney-superhero-kid
Summary: Mia Carter is SHEILDs newest and brightest agent. She has been working solo for 10 years, ridding the world of criminals. But when she is suddenly assigned to a new team, her world is turned upside down. Until now she has only had to worry about herself but now she has 6 other people to look after. Welcome to the Avengers. Rated T for language.
1. Chapter 1

The radio was playing loudly as the Carter family drove down the highway into New Hampshire. Jillian Carter looked in the back seat to see her 7 year old daughter singing along in a high pitched voice and brushing her doll's hair. Jillian laughed and looked over at her husband, Daniel Carter, who was driving.

"Momma, when will we get there?" Mia asked. "Soon. The lake house isn't too far away." "When we get there can we go swimming?" Mia asked excitedly. "Of course I'll take you swimming. I'll jump off the dock with you as soon as we get there," responded her father. "And can we go mini golfing? And go to the park? And…" Mia continued to list everything she wanted to do on vacation and her parents laughed. Their daughter was their whole lives outside of work. As agents for the government, Jillian and Daniel worked a lot of late hours and were frequently traveling so their family vacations were special.

"Honey, take this next exit-" _BOOM!_ An explosion rocked the bridge and sent the car flying into the river. "Ahhh!" Mia screamed. The car hit the water and started rapidly sinking. The water was rising outside the windows as the car sunk deeper into the river.

"Mommy! Daddy!" Mia cried. Her parents' heads had hit the dashboard when the car flipped over. Daniel raised his head and reached into the backseat to undo Mia's seat belt. "Baby, you have to swim out of the car ok? Just keep swimming until you reach the shore. Do you understand?" Mia shook her head in understanding. "But, what about you and mom?" Her mother didn't say anything, and her figure was slumped against the seat. Daniel tried to remain calm for his daughter's sake. "We'll be fine. Don't worry about us." He reached over and touched his daughter's check. "Go."

Mia opened the door and immediately water rushed in. She held her breath and swam away from the car. She was good swimmer for her age and had passed all her swimming tests at home. Mia kicked with all her strength but she could feel her lungs burn for oxygen. She burst out of the river and took a shaky breath then swam for the beach. She collapsed with a heavy sigh and closed her eyes.

Mia sat up and looked at the bridge they were driving on not 10 minutes ago. It was completely in flames and she could hear sirens in the distance. Mia tucked her knees to her chest and sat on the beach. She would wait for her mom and dad, they promised to come find her. She would wait for them.

Mia didn't know how long she sat there staring at the lake until she heard a familiar voice. "Mia?" She turned and saw her uncle Phil crouch next to her. "Let's go sweetie," he said in a soothing voice. Mia glanced back at the river and deep down inside her she knew her parents weren't coming to find her. "Ok," she said in a small voice.

She held her uncle's hand as they walked to his car. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed someone. "Director Fury, I have Mia with me… Yes I believe so… No they did not... I didn't see them…" Coulson was trying to keep his cool even though he just lost his sister. "Yes sir. Right away." Phil sighed and put his phone back in his pocket. He looked down at his niece who had just lost everything in her life. "Let's go home Mia."

TURKEY, 2012

"Siren. Siren report. Mia answer me damn it!" Fury growled into his communicator.

Mia flinched at the sudden angry voice in her head. "Don't _yell_. I can hear you perfectly fine," she snapped. Mia readjusted her position on the roof top as her legs began to stiffen. "Mia, status report. And save the snappy come backs for latter please," Fury said tiredly. This girl gave him more headaches than any other agent. Mia looked through her binoculars again and found her target.

"He's exiting the car on the corner street. There are 5 guards. 3 with him at all times and the other 2 circle the perimeter. They have hand guns in their back pockets and one has a knife. The meeting is still on schedule," she relayed back to her superior.

"Excellent. You've done your job, now-" began Fury before he was cut off. "I can do this," said Mia determinedly. Fury sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Mia, you're and excellent agent. One of the best here, but the situation is too dangerous. The extraction team will be there soon."

Mia huffed indignantly. "But I can deal with this here and now. I'm more than capable of taking on 5 guards and-"

"Mia," Fury said harshly. "Leave Turkey now. There is nothing else you can do by yourself. We deal with Cassof when the time is right."

Mia sighed and stood up from her vantage point. "Fine, I'll meet up with the extraction team and return to base." Mia paused to hear scuffling feet behind her and turned to face the noise. Suddenly a pair of strong arms wrapped around Mia's small body and a cloth was put over her nose and mouth. Mia struggled against the attacker but her vision swam. All went black.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey everyone! This is my very first FF ever! I'm still trying to figure out how to work everything so I didn't put an author's message on chapter 1. I was a little nervous to publish it but I hope you all like it. Please review and comment because your input really will help. Anyway enough of me talking, I hope you all enjoy the story **

Mia opened her eyes and blinked several times against the harsh lights. Her head felt like it weighed a ton but she lifted it and took a look at her surroundings. _A warehouse or maybe a tower_, she thought to herself. She was surprised to see she was in a white hospital room with a vase of yellow flowers sitting next to her. Mia recognized this room from the hospital wing. She glanced down and saw an IV tube sticking out of her left arm. Mia brushed her long brown hair out of her eyes and sighed.

"Ah Miss Carter, I see you're awake. How are you feeling?" Mia saw a man, presumably a doctor walk into her room and over to her hospital bed. This man had curly brown hair and thick glasses; he wore a purple shirt under his lab coat.

"I feel like I've had a couple bricks dropped on my head," Mia responded haughtily. She was not in the mood to be nice to this guy whoever he was. The man laughed. "Well that's expected. I'm doctor Banner. Bruce Banner." Mia glanced at Bruce. "So you're the Hulk then?"

Bruce fidgeted uncomfortably while he looked over her charts. When he didn't respond Mia asked another question. "What happened doctor Banner?"

"I don't think you need to concern yourself about that right now. You were unconscious for 2 days. We were worried; you scared us quite a bit." "Doctor Banner, answer my question. What. Happened. To. Me?" Mia growled at him. Bruce took a step back.

"Mia," said a new voice quite harshly. "That's enough." Mia looked over at the doorway to see her uncle Phil Coulson and Director Fury with their arms crossed glaring at her. "Thank you doctor, you can leave now," said Fury. Bruce didn't argue and quickly sped out of the room, the tension between the three of them evident.

"What happened?" Mia repeated her question again for the third time. Coulson sighed and sat on the edge of her bed. "It seemed like Cassnof had some extra guards patrolling the roof tops. One of them spotted you. They drugged you and brought you to one of their facilities outside the city. Your extraction team however followed them and brought you back. You've been in the hospital for two days." Mia saw the concern in her uncle's eyes and reached out to grab his hand. Ever since Mia lost her mother and Phil his sister, the two of them grew very close. They were all the family they had and they were determined to keep each other safe.

Director Fury came over. "Mia, you have been working alone for 10 years. And you are one of the best agents I have ever trained. But I think you would benefit from some team experience." "WHAT?" Mia shouted. "Now just hear him out," Coulson said.

"For one year, you will be assigned a team to work with. You will be a cooperative and engaging member of that team. At the end of the year you can decide if you want to stay with the group or return to solo work," Fury said. Mia's eyes darted back and forth between the two men.

"You're serious? I have no people skills what so ever…" They didn't respond and she sighed. "Fine. Whatever. I'm not going to like it but whatever."

"Thank you Mia. I want you to make some friends here," Coulson said. Mia scoffed. "I'm not two years old. These people won't be my friends." She crossed her arms and glared at the two men.

They moved to the door to leave. "Wait," Mia called out. They stopped. "Who am I working with?" Fury smiled. _Oh no this can't be good, _Mia thought. "The Avengers. You start tomorrow."

_**Later that day, somewhere aboard the Helicarrier…**_

"What do you mean a new team mate?!" Tony said incredulously. "It's hard enough working with these brats." Tony gestured to the rest of his team mates.

"You're not so easy to deal with yourself Stark," Steve mumbled earning chuckles from the other Avengers.

Fury sighed. "It's only for one year. I want her to get some experience working with a team."

"Wait she's a girl?" Tony asked excitedly. "Yes Stark she's a girl," Fury said tiredly. "She has already meet Barton and Romanov, and doctor Banner this morning."

Natasha and Clint look at each other then their Director. "Wait you don't mean…" Natasha started. "Yes, Agent Carter."

"Well where is this girl? I want to meet her!" Tony said not trying to contain his excitement. "Stark, you have a girlfriend, remember?" Natasha said.

"She's still in the medical wing recovering from her latest mission. You can meet her tomorrow morning. I'll send her over to the tower." Fury answered. "And whatever you might think about her when you meet Agent Carter, just remember she's been through more than any little girl should." Fury said warningly.

Coulson, who was silent until now stepped up. "She's my _niece_. So if you make her feel anything but welcome, I will _personally_ come after you," he said angrily. The Avenges were silent, thinking about their newest team mate that for better or worse would be joining them tomorrow.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey everyone! So sorry it's been so long since I updated but I've been busy with school! I had a half day today though so I had no excuse for not posting this. Hope you enjoy the chapter**

Mia's long brown hair whipped in her face as the wind blew around her. She stood outside Avengers tower with her bag staring up at the enormous building. _It's now or never,_ she thought to herself and sighed. Mia reached down to grab her bag, and with her head held high she strode into the lobby.

She hadn't walked five steps when she was spotted. "Oh you must be Mia Carter! I've been expecting you!" said a cheery voice and Mia was suddenly confronted by a tall strawberry blonde woman. "Hi my name is Pepper Potts and I'm the CEO of Stark industries," she said extending her hand. Mia reached out cautiously and shook it politely. _Good God what had she gotten herself into._

"The rest of the team is dying to meet you! Shall we," Pepper said gesturing to the elevators. Mia nodded and followed Pepper. She pushed the button for the top floor and the machine quickly sped up the building. The elevator was made of glass so Mia could see New York City below her. She watched the people get smaller and smaller as they ascended. The elevator stopped with and with a soft _Bing_ the doors opened.

Pepper walked out of the elevator and into what looked like a big common room. Mia followed and surveyed the scene before her. "Everyone this is Mia Carter," Pepper said loudly. The people all stopped what they were doing and came over to introduce themselves.

"Tony Stark: genius, playboy, philanthropist. Although you probably know who I am," the man said wiggling his eyebrows. Mia rolled her eyes. She definitely knew him.

"Lady Mia," said a tall blonde man reaching for her hand. "It's a pleasure. I am Thor of Asguard," He said planting a kiss on her hand. Mia pulled her hand out of his grasp and looked him over. _Is this guy for real?_ She thought.

"Hey Carter," Mia heard a man's voice. "Barton," she said in response to Clint's short acknowledgement.

"Hey Mia," Natasha stood next to Clint and nodded her head. "Hey Natasha."

"Mia," Bruce said shyly. "Hello doctor Banner."

"Miss Carter, it's nice to meet you." Mia turned at this greeting to look for the speaker. She spotted a tall man with short blonde hair. "Captain America?" she squeaked. Mia immediately cursed herself for sounding like an adoring fan girl. Steve blushed and quickly ran a hand through his hair. "Yes ma'am that's me." "Hi," she said trying to regain her composure.

"Oh for crying out loud Spangles, just ask the girl for her number already!" Tony exclaimed causing Steve to blush furiously. Mia shot him a death glare and decided she did not like Tony Stark one bit.

"Well that's the team, let me show you around!" Pepper said grabbing Mia by the hand and pulling her without any arguments out of the common room.

XXXXX

Mia lay in her bed and stared up at the ceiling. It was 5 in the morning and she hadn't slept a wink. She sighed and recalled that nights events. After Pepper had shown her around they met up for dinner around 7pm. Apparently Tony had tried to cook something because they were all alerted by the distinct smell of something burning. After they put out the flames of what was supposed to be lasagna, Pepper ordered some pizza and they all sat in the common room. Honestly it went better then she expected but Mia would never admit that to anyone.

Mia decided that she wouldn't lie in bed any longer so she got up and dressed herself in a tank top and shorts. Mia opened her door and crept along the hallway to the elevators. She went down to the gym and found it empty. _No surprise there,_ she thought. Mia looked around and settled on a punching bag in the corner. She wrapped her hands up and started attacking the bag.

Suddenly her mind was filled with memories and thoughts. Mia saw her parents' car sink in the river. All those years of intense training at SHEILD. She saw herself hold a gun for the first time. The first time she killed someone. All of her missions that went wrong. Fury telling her she needed to work with a team. Mia's punches became faster and stronger._ It wasn't fair. It wasn't bloody fair. Why did she have to get assigned to a team? She was fine on her own. She didn't need anybody. _Sweat was dripping down Mia's neck as she let out all her anger and emotions on the battered bag.

"Hey what did that poor bag ever do to you?" someone said with a chuckle. Mia swiveled and thrust her foot out toward the new comer.

"Whoa! Alright!" Steve said as he ducked the incoming attack.

Mia's heart was pounding furiously against her chest and her breathing was erratic. "Sorry. I was… distracted," she said not meeting Steve's eyes. Mia felt her eyes become watery as she thought about the crazy emotions swimming through her head. _Oh no,_ she thought. _I will not cry in front of him._

He took a step closer with his hands out in front of him. "Hey, it's ok. Sometimes I get overwhelmed too." Mia gave him a cold stare. "I'm not overwhelmed. I can handle everything just fine."

Steve laughed a little. "I can see it in your eyes. That frantic look as if you were replaying everything that went wrong. Every time you messed up or froze in action." Mia looked at Steve startled that he knew so much. _How does he know that? How can he possibly know how I feel…?_

"What do you know about mistakes? You're Captain America. You're the fearless leader of the Avengers," Mia scoffed. A dark cloud passed over Steve's eyes but it quickly vanished. "You might be surprised. Your form needs work."

Mia had a baffled look on her face. Steve laughed. "Your form. In boxing? It could use some work." No one had ever criticized Mia besides her Uncle and Fury, and even then they were watchful of her short temper. "Oh ok," she wasn't sure where he was going with this sudden comment.

Steve came over to stand next to her and the punching bag. "You need to keep your posture like this. And tuck your arm in like so," he said demonstrating. "It will help make your attacks even more powerful and quick."

Mia copied Steve's stance. "Like this?" "Yeah just like that. Now try hitting the bag."

Mia took a couple swings and even she could feel how much more powerful her punch was. She looked at Steve who was smiling at her. "Thanks."

"Ok now try it with an opponent," he said putting his arms up. Mia laughed. "You seriously want me to take you on. I can easily beat you." "Then you have nothing to worry about," Steve said still smiling. "Ok you're choice," Mia said getting into position.

She took a swing at Steve who deflected the blow easily. Mia alternated between punches and kicks. Mia aimed her foot at Steve's gut but he caught it midair. Mia struggled and tried to pull her foot out of Steve's grasp but he was too strong. He yanked her forward and she toppled into him. They fell to the ground breathing heavily from their workout.

They were incredibly close, they faces were inches apart. Mia stared up into Steve's face. She never noticed how blue his eyes were. They were like the ocean on a calm day. She felt butterflies in her stomach. _Oh_ _no,_ she thought.

"Uh Steve, you're kind of sitting on me…" Mia said startling Steve.

"Oh… right," he said, quickly getting up and blushing. He ran his hand through his hair. "Sorry about that." Mia stood up as well. "It's… its fine. Well I should be going." Mia quickly ran out the door and to the elevators leaving Steve stunned.

Once she was safely inside did she let out the breath she didn't know she was holding. _What the hell was that?_ Did the butterflies in her stomach mean something? And why was she ogling over Steve's eyes. _No I will not fall in love. I'm not going to fall for some pretty boy, even if he has gorgeous blue eyes…_ Mia shook her head trying to clear herself of those thoughts. She was a damn professional and she was going to stay that way.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hi everyone! I am incredibly sorry that it has been so long since I've updated! I had to focus on school before I left for April break and it was crazy trying to get in touch with all my teachers! Then I was gone for a week for vacation. I went to Mexico with my family and it was great! We stayed in a small fishing village just south of Cancun called Puerto Morelos. It was an amazing trip! Any way this chapter will be a little bit longer than the others since it has been so long **** And thank you to everyone who reviews the story because it means a lot to me! And now a new chapter…**

After the debacle with Steve that morning, Mia decided to stay clear of him. She kept running the scenario through in her head and she just couldn't make heads or tails of it. The way Steve had looked at her was filled with such emotion and caring. _Maybe he likes you,_ a little voice in her head said. Mia shook her head and promptly killed that small idea. _No,_ she thought, _if anything we are just friends._ Mia sighed and sat up from her bed.

"Well, I can't hide in here forever." She changed in to a light grey T-shirt and a pair of comfortable jeans; she pulled her hair back in to a low pony tail. Mia opened her door and found her way to the kitchen. Checking her watch, she noticed that it was right around 9 o'clock.

Mia found Cling, Natasha, and Thor all sitting around the kitchen counter drinking what Mia supposed was coffee.

"I like this drink! Bring me another!" Thor bellowed slamming his empty mug on to the counter.

Mia flinched. "Are you always like this?" she asked incredulously. The three looked over at the doorway to see their new team mate.

"Good morning Lady Mia!" Thor said coming over. "I trust you slept well? Have you had this so called coffee? It is simply magical!" Mia laughed and said, "What, your telling me they don't have coffee in your world?" She looked at Thor then at Clint and Natasha, who were sipping their drinks calmly. "Wow, that's a first. Yes I have had coffee before. I like mine with a lot of sugar and milk."

"Then by all means, let me get you one!" Thor pulled out a chair on the other side of the counter next to his companions and motioned for Mia to sit. Mia stood in the kitchen not knowing what to do. "He won't bite Mia," Clint said jokingly. Deciding that Clint was right, Mia walked to the chair and sat down carefully. Thor then rushed in to the kitchen and pulled out a mug from the cabinet. He pushed several buttons on the Keurig and the machine whirred to life. After a few minutes, there was a small beep, and Thor removed the mug full of fresh coffee. He opened the refrigerator and pulled out a jug of milk, adding some to the drink. He then added 3 spoonful's of sugar, and seeming satisfied placed the steaming beverage in front of Mia.

"Lady Natasha taught me how to make this drink perfectly! She makes the best coffee I have ever had the pleasure of tasting." Thor beamed at his work, waiting for Mia to take a sip. She looked at Thor then over to Natasha and Clint who were waiting with smiles on their faces for Mia to try the drink. Natasha motioned with her hand for Mia to take a sip. She sighed, picked up the steaming mug and took a cautious sip.

"Mmmm," she sighed. "Thor I must say this is excellent." Thor looked like he was about to explode with joy. "Horary! I won Lady Mia's approval! Now we are friends." Mia started and almost spilled her coffee. She put her mug down and looked at the demigod. Thor looked so happy; she would feel bad if she hurt his feelings. _Great, now I'm growing soft,_ she thought. "Umm… sure we can be friends."

The words had no sooner left he mouth when she suddenly found herself being lifted out of her chair and spun around. "Wooah, Thor stop!" Mia cried trying to break free of the incredibly strong demigod. Thor stopped spinning and gently placed Mia on her feet. "I am sorry Lady Mia. I did not mean to startle you." Mia sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose taking a deep breath. _Man, this guy was making it so hard to be mad at._ "It's ok Thor; just give me a little warning next time."

Thor's smile returned and he took a seat in the chair next to Mia's. She sat down and the four of them began to talk about Thor's home world of Asguard. Mia was enraptured by his tales of bravery and this far off planet which he called home. The four of them talked for hours until a still sleepy Tony stumbled into the kitchen. He let out a large yearn and stretched his arms out.

"Hey guys," he said.

Mia laughed at his bedraggled appearance; his hair was sticking up in 7 different directions and his pjs were wrinkled. "Did you just wake up?"

Tony smiled and leaned against the counter. "Yeah, I figured it was about time I graced you all with my presence."

Mia rolled her eyes and stood up. She put her mug in the dishwasher. "You're such a lazy lump on the log," she said to Tony.

Mia walked out of the kitchen and back to her room. She opened her windows to let in some sunlight. From her window she could see central park. Mia grabbed her book, plopped down on her bed, and opened to her bookmark. It was the newest book by Lucy Lu and she wanted some peace and quiet.

Mia had read about 5 chapters when metal covers slid over her windows plunging her room in darkness. Mia put her book down and swung off the bed. She crept to her door and put a hand on the knob. She had one hand hovering on the gun secured to her belt. Suddenly she felt someone behind her grab her arms. Mia spun around and kicked her attacker backwards. The mysterious figure jumped around Mia, pinned her arms to her sides and felt something on her face. Her mind was beginning to swim and her vision blurry. _Oh no, not this again._ She slumped to the ground.

Mia didn't know how long she was asleep. She heard broken bits of conversation between what she guessed were two females.

"...have to drug her?"

"…she wouldn't go otherwise."

"I know…kinda mean…"

"You try…she's fierce."

"Oh take this next exit toward…" Mia felt the vehicle turn and she black out again.

XXXXX

"When will she wake up?"

"The drug was mild so she should regain conscience any minute." There was a pause then, "Have I ever told you that you're crazy?"

"CRAZY?!"

"Yes crazy, off you're rocker, lost your marbles, mentally unstable…"

"At least I don't have a stash of drugs and poisons in my closet!"

"But you're the one who wanted to kidnap her for a girls trip in the first place. How do you think she'll react?" Another pause.

"Oh, yeah that. Well she'll thank me some day."

Mia stirred and groaned. Her head felt like she had been dragged behind a car. Her eyes fluttered open and she blinked against the sunlight. She sat up and noticed she was in a car. A very nice car. In the front seats she saw a strawberry blonde and a red head staring at her expectantly. It took a moment for Mia to recognize them as Pepper and Natasha. Pepper looked extremely happy to see Mia and Natasha looked like she was ready to knock Mia out if she had to.

"Hello…" Mia said unsure of what really to say.

"Hi! How are you feeling" Pepper bubbled excitedly.

"Honestly, terrible." Pepper's smile fell. "Oh sorry about that, Natasha assured me that you wouldn't feel a thing…"

Mia looked back and forth between the two women. "Where are we?"

Pepper's smile returned. ". "At a mall!"

Mia blinked a couple of timed to make sure she heard right. "A mall. You kidnapped me to go to a mall…"

Pepper nodded enthusiastically. "Yep exactly."

Mia looked over at Natasha. "And you helped her with this?" Natasha smiled slightly. "It was fun."

Mia sighed and her head fell back against the seat. "Why in God's name did you bring me to a mall?"

"To go shopping of course! I figured being the only three girls of the team we should be friends." Mia sighed. This girl had way too much energy for her. "But why didn't you ask me to begin with?"

"Would you have come?" Natasha questioned.

"No. probably not.'

"Then it's settled! We are going to have a fabulous girl's day!"

Mia rolled her eyes and smiled a little smile at Pepper's optimism.

The three women got out of the car and walked across the parking lot in to the shopping center. Pepper lead them through countless store, and insisted they, epically Mia, needed new wardrobes. "What's wrong with my clothes?" Mia asked slightly offended. "Honestly," Pepper said leading her into Forever 21. "You dress like a boy. A very pretty and dangerous boy, but a boy none the less."

Mia rolled her eyes as Pepper attacked the clothes racks with zeal. Natasha and Mia both laughed at Pepper's enthusiasm and soon they were looking through the store as well. With arm full of clothes, the women went to the changing rooms. They would all come out at the same time to show each other what they found. They laughed at some of the more ridiculous outfits and gushed over the pretty ones.  
Come on Mia, let me see!" called Pepper.

"She won't stop until you come out," Natasha called.

"All right, I'm coming!" Mia opened the door and stepped out. The women gapped. "Mia… you look…" Pepper started. "…amazing," Natasha finished.

Mia looked in the floor length mirror and agreed. She was wearing a white dress that reached a little above her knees. It had thin straps and a brown belt around her waist. It had small light blue polka dots all over the fabric. She twirled and the skirt fanned out like a tutu. "You think?"

"Of course!" the other two girls said together.

"Wait here," Natasha said. She went into her changing room and come back with a pair of silver gladiator style sandals. "Try these."

Mia put them on and paced back and forth. "Perfect," Pepper said. The women giggled and changed back into their original outfits.

"Wait, Mia you have to wear the dress home! Please!" squeaked Pepper. Mia sighed. _There was no pleasing this woman_. "Okay." Mia slipped back in to the dress and proceeded to the checkout. Pepper insisted that she pay for their excursion and the trio returned to the car with handfuls of bags.

"Pepper, thank you for this. It was…fun," sand Mia. Pepper turned and stared at her shocked, before wrapping her in a huge hug.

"Mia thank you for coming. Even though you had absolutely no say in this, thank you for being such a great sport. Can I call you my friend now?" Mia considered her words carefully. "Yes that would be alright."

"Yay!" exclaimed Pepper and the three got into the car. They arrived back at Stark tower around 7 o'clock. They grabbed their bags and entered the elevator. When the doors opened to the top floor they were instantly met with the smoke alarm blaring.

"What is that?" Pepper cried trying to block her ears.

Natasha and Mia looked at each other and dropped their bags next to the elevator before grabbing hidden guns from their persons.

"Pepper stay behind us," Natasha said warningly.

The trio crept along as silently as they could through the hallway and into the kitchen where they heard the commotion.

"Freeze!" Natasha and Mia cried.

5 men froze in their tracks and slowly turned to face the newcomers. The male Avengers were crowded around in the kitchen.

"What the hell is going on?" Mia asked. The men all shared looks before Tony spoke up.

"We were trying to make dinner. You know for when you got back. But it kind of…of…um…exploded…"

"EXPLODED?!" Pepper cried stepping between the female assassins. "What do you mean exploded?"

They all flinched. When Pepper Pots was mad, do not cross her. Ever.

"Well we were trying to make a pot roast but I guess we did something wrong because it went boom…" Tony said sheepishly.

The three women shook their heads sadly.

"Please turns off these damn smoke alarms someone," said Natasha miserably.

The men raced out of the kitchen to deal with the alarm system. After a few tense minutes, the men slowly filed back into the kitchen looking dejected.

"We're sorry," Steve said. "We wanted to do something nice for you three."

Mia sighed. "You guys are hopeless. Out. Everybody out," she said shooing them all away. They all scurried away from the irate brunette. Mia looked about the kitchen at the damage done. "Well let's fix this mess," she said to herself. Mia piled up all the dirty dishes and utensils into the sink. She got out all the ingredients she needed and began to cook.

Within half an hour, delicious smells were wafting from the kitchen and the other Avengers wondered what Mia could possibly be doing.

"Would everyone please come to the dining room? Miss Carter has requested your presence." Jarvis announced on the intercom. The team met up and walked in together. The dining room was set nicely with everything properly set.

"Wow," they all whispered.

"Well don't just stand there. Grab a plate!" Mia called from the kitchen.

Dumb founded they grabbed their plates and went into the kitchen, not sure what to expect. Mia was standing by the stove with a large Sheppard's pie waiting. Thor eagerly went up to Mia and held out his plate. She smiled and gave him a big portion.

"Thank you Lady Mia!"

When they were all served, they sat down together at the table. They all picked up their forks and took a bite.

"Mia… this…this is…" Bruce stammered.

"Wonderful!" Thor boomed.

Mia smiled a little as the team gushed about how lovely the food was. They all went back for seconds.

"Mia, where did you learn to cook?" Steve asked surprised. They all looked at her expectantly.

"My grandmother and Uncle Phil."

"Coulson?!" Tony spluttered.

Mia glared at him. "Yes Coulson. After my parents…" Mia froze. She shook her head to clear her mind. "After they died, Phil took me in. He raised me like a father. For Christmas we would go see his mother, my grandmother, in Minnesota. They taught me how to cook."

They processed what they had heard and an uneasy silence fell over them. Mia stood up. "The brownies should be ready soon."

"What are brownies?" Thor asked.

They all cracked up at his words and brought their plates to the kitchen. Mia cut the desert into little squares and dished them all on to small plates. They all sat around the dining room once again complimenting Mia on her fine cooking skills.

"Alright, you like the brownies! I get it!" Mia said laughing. "But the men have to do the dishes."

Clint shrugged. "Seems only fair."

They adjourned to the common room after the dishes had been done. Tony put in the new James Bond movie and they all shrugged into their seats. _This was nice_, Mia thought. _They aren't as bad as I thought._ It was a little after midnight when the movie was done. They all yawned and sleepily sat up.

Mia stood and stretched. "Well I'm going to bed."

Steve stood up from the couch. "I'll walk you."

Mia rolled her eyes and turned to walk out. _There goes trying to avoid him._ Mia strolled down the hall and soon she felt Steve fall into step behind her.

"Dinner was excellent. You are truly an amazing cook," Steve said. His voice was slightly shaky.

"Well you guys butchered the pot roast I had to step in. Oh wait," said Mia spinning on her heels. "I left my bags by the elevator."

"I'll get them for you. Stay here," said Steve rushing back the way they came.

Mia didn't have any chance to protest as she watched Steve's retreating form run down the hall. Mia waited only 2 minutes before Steve came back with all her bags form the day. "Here you go," Steve said handing her the shopping bags.

"Thanks," Mia said. An awkward silence passed.

"Well then, I'm going to go then," Mia said turning to open her bedroom door.

"Wait Mia," Steve called causing Mia to turn. "I… um… like your dress. You look very pretty," Steve mumbled before dashing back down the hall.

Mia stood there shocked before she too turned to enter her room. _What exactly just happened?_ Mia thought to herself. She shook her head and went to get ready for bed.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello everyone! I really am sorry that I have not been able to update as soon as I would have liked. School kind of takes priority and I need to stay on top of homework. Also I forgot to say this last week but I want to send a shout out to everyone who was affected by the Boston Marathon incident. I'm from the area so it was very personal for me, although thank God that no one I know was hurt. On a happier note, I hope you all like the chapter **

_Bing._ Mia's phone chimed once. _Bing._ It chimed again. She rolled onto her back and covered her head with her pillow. She wanted to just stay asleep in her bed, not talking to anyone, and just relax. Yeah right. No one would let her stay alone for too long in this world. Mia grumbled incoherently and reached over to grab her phone off her night stand. She sat up blinking the sleepiness out of her eyes.

_Meeting with Hill at 9. Be there._ It was from Fury. Mia sighed. Yep, never alone. She got dressed I her standard SHEILD outfit: a plain black V-neck t-shirt and comfortable skinny jeans with her hair pulled back in a long braid. She put on her favorite dark brown combat boots and left her room.

Mia went to the kitchen and grabbed an apple from the fridge. She leaned against one of the large windows munching on the piece of fruit. She could see that the city was already busy with life this early in the morning. There were foot steps behind Mia and she turned to see who entered the room. Clint rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and noticed Mia standing by the windows.

"Hey," he said yawning. "Hey. Still sleepy?" Mia asked. Clint smiled and said, "Yeah, I just woke up. By the way, why are you up so early?" Mia looked down at her watch. "It's not that early. It's 20 minutes before 8. Any way I have a meeting with Hill this morning, probably to debrief on my last mission. I forgot to hand in a mission report…" Mia said sheepishly. "Oh, Hill's gonna have your head for that one! Well good luck," Clint said leaving Mia to go to the kitchen.

Mia finished her apple and disposed the core before she took the elevator down to the garage. She looked around at the vehicles surrounding her. Tony had some very nice and very expensive looking cars. She wondered if he would miss any of them… _No_, she thought._ If I "borrow" one of Tony's cars he'll just get me back one day in some sort of twisted scheme when I'm least expecting it. Although, it would give me an excuse to kick his ass…_ Mia shook her head and wandered until she found her car. It was a black Nissan Ultima with smooth leather seats. It had been a gift from her uncle when she completed her SHEILD training.

She started up the car and drove out of the city to the rendezvous where she would take a small shuttle to the Helicarrier.

XXXXX

Mia sat in front of Hill's office waiting to be called into her meeting that she was dreading. One minute. Two minutes. Three-

"You can come in now," said Maria's voice from through the door. Mia sighed and pushed the door open. Maria was sitting behind her desk and was hunched over staring intensely at some file report. Mia took a seat opposite the agent and waiting for her to say something.

"So Mia, how have you been adjusting?" Maria said staring at the woman across from her.

Mia blinked. "Wait, what?" Maria sighed and repeated her original question. "Fine I guess. It's not ideal," Mia said shrugging.

"Okay. How are the other team members treating you? I know how Stark can be hot headed sometimes," Maria said scribbling something down on the paper in front of her. "Stark is fine. I mean he's a complete idiot and can act impulsively but…" Mia trailed off. "Why are you wondering?"

Hill didn't look up from her paper. "It's been brought to my attention that you might not be in the best situation at the moment. I know that you aren't exactly a social butterfly. And this is a particularly… challenging group of individuals." Mia gave to woman a hard look until Hill eventually looked up to see why Mia hadn't said anything in the past several minutes. "My uncle put you up to this didn't he?" Hill swallowed. "Agent Coulson cares for all of the agents in this facility. He might show it a little differently but he looks out for everyone's well-being."

"Oh come on! He totally had something on you! What, did he call in a favor? Or maybe he blackmailed you with some really embarrassing photos of some wild party gone totally wrong-" "Mia! Your uncle cares about you and he wanted me to check in on you! Happy now?" Hill cried. She pinched the bridge of her nose. She could feel a head ache coming on. Those were never good. "Yes that is a satisfying answer. Thank you," Mia said standing up from her seat.

She left Hill's office and walked through the corridors until she found Coulson's office. She knocked once before pushing the door open anyway.

"Yes?" Coulson said not looking up from his paper work. Mia cleared her throat. Coulson looked up at his niece who was towering over his desk. "Mia, what a pleasant surprise. Do you need something?"

"Yes. Why did you tell Hill to talk to me? I'm doing fine. If you really wanted to ask me how I was doing you could have talked to me in person." Coulson sighed and leaned back in his chair. "Mia it's my job to look out for you. Not just because I'm your handler but because I'm your uncle. You are very important to me and I want to keep you safe. It was not right for Fury and me to just assign you a team like that with no warning." Mia walked around the desk and kneeled in front of the tired looking agent.

"I know you are looking out for me. And I appreciate it, but I can handle myself. I'm not 7 anymore. I think I can take on a group of super powered weirdoes," she said smiling. "I know you can." They smiled at each other before Mia got up and motioned to leave.

_Bing._ Her phone chimed. It was a message from Pepper. It read: _Tony's bday today. Surprise party at 6. Be there and bring a gift__._

Mia sighed. "Did you know it was Stark's birthday?" Coulson thought for a moment. "Yes I think I did." "Well apparently Pepper is throwing him a surprise party. What in the world am I supposed to get him?" Coulson thought about the genius playboy philanthropist. "How about a cake? You make delicious desserts." Mia thought about it for several seconds. "Good idea. Cake it is." She waved goodbye and left the office. She sent a reply message to Pepper. _Making a cake. Be there in 10._

XXXXX

"Does Tony like vanilla or chocolate?" Mia called to Pepper who was busy blowing up balloons with Steve and Clint. "Chocolate," she said tying off another balloon. "I don't get why we're doing this for Stark. All he ever does is bombard us relentlessly with countless jokes at our own expense," Clint said. "And how did you ever manage to get him out of the house?" Pepper smiled and shrugged, "I told him that someone broke into his Malibu home and messed with his vintage video game collection. I know he can be a jerk but he really is a nice guy deep down." Clint sighed, "Whatever you say."

Natasha, Thor, and Bruce came in to the living room carrying the streamers. "All right. Set those up across the ceiling," Pepper commanded. Mia set the timer and put the cake in the oven. "That should only take about 30 minutes." "Perfect! Now you can help me wrap the gifts."

**Forty minutes later…**

"This is perfect! Mia the cake looks amazing," Pepper said standing next to the chef. Mia had to admit the cake did look pretty good. It was frosted to look like Tony's Iron Man helmet. "I agree. It does look pretty good." They all moved around the common room checking to make sure everything was in place. "Tony should be here soon…" Pepper remarked. As if on cue, the man of the hour landed on the terrace. He strolled down the walk way, his armor coming of piece by piece.

"Hey Pep, there was nothing wrong with Malibu. All of my video games were perfectly safe. Hey where…"

"SURPRISE!" everyone shouted at once charging towards Tony. They all crowded him with hugs and laughter of joy. "What's going on?!" Tony laughed out loud. "It's your birthday silly! We wanted to celebrate for you," Pepper said wrapping her boyfriend in a hug. "Thank you guys! This is great!" Tony said looking over all the party decorations.

They moved together to the common room to open presents. "This is perfect everyone! Thank you. Nothing could ruin this moment!"

**Never say "nothing could ruin this moment… or at least it can't get worse", you are just setting yourself up to be proven otherwise **** I hope you liked the chapter. I will try to post another soon**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello everyone! I am sincerely and deeply sorry that I have not been updating as soon as I promised! I was so busy with the end of school and finals then I was traveling with my family during most of the summer so I didn't bring my laptop with me. Although, I did bring my note and sketch book so I was spending my time writing and drawing **** so I have several long chapters all ready to go!**

After opening presents and throwing wrapping paper balls at each other, the Avengers went into the dining room to eat cake. They began to sing 'Happy Birthday' for Tony.

"_Happy Birthday to you,_

_Happy Birthday to you,_

_Happy Birthday dear Tony,_

_Happy Birthday…"_

Mia, who was actually enjoying herself and singing along, unexpectedly felt a sharp sting on her cheek as a shard of something sharp scratched her face. She put her fingers to her cheek and found it covered in blood. She gasped. The singing stopped abruptly as everyone turned to look at Mia.

"Mia!" Pepper exclaimed. "You're bleeding, what happened?"

"I don't…" Mia turned to face to big windows and saw a crack in the glass. "The glass!" Mia exclaimed as the windows shattered with a resounding _CRASH!_

Tony grabbed Pepper and pulled her under the table to protect her. Everyone else shielded their heads with their arms.

"Tony! Get Pepper out of here!" Natasha cried. Tony quickly put on the awaiting Iron Man suit and flew Pepper out of one of the now open windows. Suddenly, seven robots flew in through the gaping holes to confront the stunned Avengers. Bruce transformed into the hulk, Natasha and Mia grabbed hidden weapons, Clint found his bow, and Steve dove to reach his shield as Thor summoned Mjölnir.

"What are these devices?" asked Thor. "They are similar to the man of iron are they not?"

"I don't know Thor," said Steve. "But they are not friendly."

The robots had a humanoid form and were completely white. They had red glowing circles where eyes would be on a face.

"Avengers located. Terminate," said one robot. They lunged towards the heroes and the battle began. They smashed, tore, and obliterated the robots but they were incredibly fast. They managed to dodge and avoid almost every move the Avengers tried. Mia wasn't sure how long they fought, but the robots were clearly programed to be skilled fighters. They had dispatched 4 robots already by the time Iron Man came back.

"What took so long Stark!?" yelled Clint as he notched an arrow.

"Pepper! She didn't want me to go. I left her with Fury aboard the Helicarrier. What are we dealing with?"

"Robots!" yelled Mia as she ducked behind the bar and reloaded her gun. "Fierce and pretty good fighters."

Tony shot one through the center with one of his cannons. It fell to the ground then after a few seconds of twitching, got back up.

"What the-" Tony began before the robot tackled him.

"You have to shoot them in the head, that's where its core processing takes place!" Steve yelled.

The Avengers were tired but they still had 3 more robots to destroy. Mia was trying to fight one robot that was clearly the smartest of them all. It was memorizing her battle strategies and adapting ot avoid them.

"Mia! On your left!" Steve cried running over to where she was dodging punches.

"I know!" she yelled back. "I got it!"

Steve picked up the robot from behind and threw it across the room.

"What did you do that for?" Mia yelled in his face. "I had it under control!"

Steve looked taken aback. "I was only…" he glanced over Mia's head and saw the robot charging towards her from behind. "Mia! Move!" Steve cried pushing her down. He put up his shield but it was too late. The robot changed his hand into a long knife and stabbed Steve in the shoulder. "Steve!" Mia cried as he stumbled back gasping. She kicked the robot down and smashed its head into the floor, killing it.

"Steve!" she yelled again and this time the other Avengers heard her. Together, they had destroyed the remaining two robots and ran over to Captain America. His right shoulder was bleeding a lot and he was unconscious now. "He…he was trying to protect me. We have to call for help!" Mia rambled on. "Don't worry Mia," Clint said. "I just called Fury. He should be here any minute."

As if on cue, the Helicarrier pulled up next to the shattered windows. A platform extended into the destroyed rooms and Bruce, who had become human again, helped Thor carry Steve inside. Natasha, Clint, Tony and Mia followed them to get their own medical attention. They were hurried off to the medical bay.

"Where is she? Where is Mia?"

Mia could hear her uncle shouting as he ran down the medical wing. He skidded to a halt in front of her room and entered. She was getting her arm and check bandaged where she had gotten badly cut. "Mia! Oh my god, how are you? You're not too hurt are you? Let me-"

"Uncle!" Mia said loudly cutting him off. "I'm fine. See, just a few crapes."

Coulson let out a relieved sigh and leaned back against the wall. "I'm glad. I was worried about you when I hear what happened." He looked over his niece and decided that she really was in fairly good shape.

"I need to find Steve!" Mia said jumping up from the bed once the doctor was done bandaging her up. "He was badly hurt and… I have to go!" Mia ran out of the room and down the hall where she saw her companions waiting. They all had various stages of injuries, but they were all relatively safe. Pepper was also with them.

"Steve! Where is" Mia said breathlessly.

"Our captain is in there," Thor pointed to the white emergency room in front of them. "He is being treated for his wounds but they will not let us in."

So they waited.


	7. Chapter 7

_20 minutes later…_

Mia paced nervously around the corridor biting her nails. She and the other Avenges were anxiously waiting for the doctors to tell them how Steve was doing. He took some nasty blows during the battle and Mia couldn't help but feel that it was her fault.

"It's my fault. All me…" she said to herself aloud.

"Mia, no. That's ridiculous," said Clint.

"Not it's not. He jumped in to save me and got badly injured in the process. If I had been quicker maybe I could have destroyed that robot then Steve would never have gotten hurt." Mia hung her head and stopped pacing.

"Mia," Natasha said firmly gripping her shoulder. "It's not your fault you can't blame yourself for this," the redhead gestured to the emergency room Steve was currently in. "Steve decided to his life at risk to save you. I was his choice. You can't take responsibility for that."

Mia looked in to Natasha's eyes and sighed. She put her head down on Natasha's should her making the Russian flinch. "I'm just worried about him. All I've ever been is cold, unfriendly, and unfeeling to him when I should have been more welcoming." Natasha was totally out of her comfort zone here and wasn't really sure how to console her team mate. She looked over Mia's head toward Clint who was leaning against the wall watching the scene. He raised his eye brows and looked pointedly at Natasha, telling her that she had to deal with this herself. The assassin was spared however when the door to the medical room opened. Mia jumped away from Natasha and turned to face the doctor.

"How-"

"He's fine agent Carter. He is going to be quite alright." The doctor looked at each of the Avengers and saw them all give a visible sigh. "His shoulder was badly injured but he will recover within the next day or so thanks to his super solider serum. I gave him some sleeping pills to help ease the pain. If you want you can go in and see him."

Mia rushed past the doctor and into the room. She took the seat next to Steve's bedside so she could see him. His right shoulder, opposite from where she sat, was bandaged in a sling. Steve was sleeping peacefully on the hospital bed. Mia reached out tentatively and grabbed his hand, which was resting next to her knee. The other Avengers slowly filled in and stood around the bed in a semi-circle.

"The doctor said he would be asleep for a couple more hours," Bruce said. Mia nodded and continued staring at Steve. Several minutes past in silence, everyone absorbed in their own thoughts.

"You know," Mia began. When I was little and I got sick, Uncle Phil would sit next to my bed and sing to me. Now granted he was horrible singer and it was hilarious to watch him sing Disney songs to me, but it made me feel better none the less to know he was there for me."

Pepper got close to Mia and put a hand gently on her shoulder. "Maybe you should sing to him."

Mia thought about all the songs she knew but couldn't quite decide one that described how she felt. Then it rapidly came to her and she nodded; she slowly and softly started to sing.

"_Oh yeah, I'll tell you something_

_I think you'll understand_

_When I say that something_

_I want to hold your hand;_

_I want to hold your hand_

_I want to hold your hand;_

_Oh please say to me_

_You'll let me be your man_

_And please say to me_

_You'll let me hold your hand;_

_You'll let me hold your hand_

_I want to hold your hand;_

_And when I touch you I feel happy inside_

_It's such a feeling that my love_

_I can't hide, I can't hide, I can't hide;_

_Yeah you got that something_

_I think you'll understand_

_When I say that something_

_I want to hold your hand_

_I want hold your hand_

_I want to hold your hand."_

During those last few lines Mia felt tears threating to surface, but she was helpless to stop them. She felt hot, wet tears streak down her cheeks as he finished singing. Mia closed her eyes, put her head down next to Steve's hand and cried. She couldn't remember the last time she cried. The other Avengers all exchanged a glance and decided to give Mia some time alone. She softly cried into the sheet. Mia held onto Steve's hand and after a while, she slowly drifted off to sleep.

XXX

_Several hours later…_

"Mia," a voice called softly.

Mia could feel a hand softly touching her face. She opened her eyes. Steve was awake and gently stroking her head.

"Steve!" Mia cried sitting up. "You're okay! I…I got so worried and…" Mia could feel the tears welling up again and turned her face so she could wipe her eyes.

"Mia?" Steve said clearly confused. "No, I'm fine! Don't worry about me," Mia laughed. "But I do worry about you." Steve said shyly. "That's why I went to help you…"

"And it's my entire fault!" Mia exclaimed whipping around to face him. She let the tears fall this time. "I'm the treason you got hurt! If I had acted quicker or moved you out of the way-"

"Mia!" Steve said forcefully, grabbing her face between his hands. "It's not your fault. It was me, all me, who made the decision to go help you. And imagine if I didn't step in! It would be you here in this hospital bed instead of me. And I couldn't have that happen." Mia stared at Steve. He moved his thumb to wipe away the fresh tears on her cheeks.

"Why do you try so hard to be nice to me?" Mia blurted out. She mentally kicked herself for ruining the moment. Steve was a little startled and blinked a couple times. "I think you're a girl worth getting to know," he finally said.

"But I'm distant and unfriendly all the time and I've been nothing but mean to you." Mia tried to look away.

"You're not like that," Steve said.

"Yes I am," Mia said sadly.

"Hey," Steve said gently turning her face toward him. "You're much more."

Mia looked at him with big pleading eyes. "How do you know what I'm like?"

"All I know is that you are one of the most amazing and talented people I've ever met and I think you are a genuine person deep down." Steve took a breath before continuing. "Mia, when I'm with you, I don't feel so… alone."

"Sometimes it's better to be alone," Mia said quietly.

"What do you mean?" asked Steve.

"Nobody can hurt you."

Steve searched Mia's eyes and saw how hurt and scared she was underneath her tough façade.

"Mia, I will never, ever hurt you," Steve said moving his hands to hold hers. Mia looked into his blue eyes and saw how honest he really was.

"I don't want to hurt you either. I'm sorry for how terrible I was first few times we met." She shrugged and whispered, "I'm just scared."

Steve nodded and let go of Mia, he put his hands in his hap. "Mia… I… I like you."

Mia gave a small smile and reached out for Steve's hands. "I think I like you too…" He looked up clearly not expecting that. Steve leaned towards Mia shorting the distance between them. _Oh my,_ she thought. _ Oh shut up!_ She said to herself, _and just kiss him already._ Mia closed her eyes and leaned toward Steve. They were a whisper away from each other.

Suddenly the door banged open, "Spangles!" Tony cried strutting in. "You're okay!"

Mia and Steve jumped away from each other surprised. "Uh… yeah… of course I'm okay," Steve said. The Avengers came in to check in on their team mates. As they crowded around Steve's hospital bed bombarding him with questions, Mia and Steve snuck a quick glance and smiled. _This could be the start of something_, Mia thought.

**By the way the song Mia sang to Steve was "I want to hold your hand" by the Beatles. I hoped you liked the chapter!**


End file.
